Storm Emma: UK snow could reach 50cm as conditions worsen

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Parts of the UK are braced for up to 50cm of snow, as Storm Emma brings worsening conditions.

A highly-unusual red weather warning for snow is in force for south-west England and south Wales until the early hours of Friday.

UK roads, railways and airports are being severely hit by snow for a third day, with thousands of schools shut.

A seven-year-old girl has died after a car crashed into a house in Looe, Cornwall.

A 75-year-old woman has been found dead in a snowy street in Leeds . She was found partially hidden beneath a car in the Farsley area of the city.

Elsewhere, a 46-year-old man has died in a road crash after a collision with a lorry in icy conditions on the A34 near Tot Hill services, Berkshire.

Earlier, a baby was born in a car in snowy conditions on the A66 at Elton near Stockton in County Durham. The mother and baby have since been taken to hospital.

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National Grid says there may not be enough gas to meet demand on Thursday in the UK, leading to possible shortages for industrial users.

If suppliers cannot provide more gas, industry, large businesses and gas-fired power stations will be asked to use less but this advice would only be passed on to consumers as a last resort.

Schools are closed in south Wales, southern England and Scotland.

Several sports fixtures have been disrupted by the weather conditions including the postponement of four Super League rugby league games and the Premier League Darts in Exeter being cancelled.

A red alert for snow in Scotland - the country's first- has been lifted but an amber alert remains in place.

More than 300 people were stranded on a motorway in Scotland in freezing temperatures overnight on Wednesday - some for 20 hours.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has urged people there not to travel, while Wales' transport secretary has also warned against driving.

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Blizzards, biting winds and significant travel disruption are also affecting southern, western and central England, parts of Wales and Northern Ireland.

This is the third day of disruption caused by heavy snowfall, with reports of "near zero visibility" on some roads in Cumbria.